She worked as an organizer with Volunteers In Service to America.[2] Through the program, she worked to establish the Cream City Community Development Credit Union to offer grants and loans to low-income residents to start businesses. For her work, she was awarded the national “VISTA Volunteer of the Decade” award from 1976-1986.[3] From 1985 to 1989, she worked for the City of Milwaukee as a neighborhood development strategist and for the state Department of Employment Relations and Health and Social Services. Moore also worked for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) as a housing officer.[4]

In 2000, she received a Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from Harvard University.

Wisconsin Legislature

Moore was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 1989 and served two terms. She was a prominent voice calling into an investigation into the case of sexual assault and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who lived two blocks away from Moore.[5]

In the election of 1992, Gwen Moore was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, in which she served the 4th District from 1993 to 2004. Moore was the first African-American woman to be elected to the upper chamber of the Wisconsin legislature.[6] She became a prominent voice against mandatory ID security measures to enter the state capitol. She said “I am too often reminded [9/11 hijacker] Mohammed Atta had a photo ID. This will not tell people whether I am a terrorist. This disenfranchises people who come to their Capitol.”[7]

During her first term, Moore introduced legislation to provide certain economic incentives and tax cuts to small businesses to promote job creation, and also cosponsored legislation in support of community block grants, continued and expanded Medicaid funding, the amendment of the Truth in Lending Act to prevent so-called “predatory lending“, and the removal of troops from Iraq; Moore is also a cosponsor of two prospective amendments to the US Constitution, providing for uniform national election standards and prohibiting gender discrimination under law.

Moore publicizes that, “her number one priority is to create jobs” through her position in The House. She has fought for tax reforms in favor of lower-income citizens, stating that “one week of Bush tax cuts for millionaires could help 350,00 hungry mothers and babies for an entire year.” Citing previous legislation and cuts to programs in favor of low-income children, Moore has recently proclaimed that “[Government has] already cut the entitlement and snatched the safety net from up underneath kids.” [1][2]

Moore has received support from Interest Groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union (93%), The Human Rights Campaign (100%), and The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) (100%), to The National Farmer’s Union (100%) and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (100%). Moore lacks support from Interest Groups regarding hunting and sportsmen rights (0% support from Sportsmen and Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance), pro-life issues (0% support from National Right to Life), and conservative tax reform stances (0% support from Americans for Tax Reform.) [3]

Moore has become a prominent advocate for women’s rights, who releases frequent statements on topics ranging from domestic abuse awareness to abortion rights. She voted “nay” on Amends Federal Health Care Law to Prohibit Abortion Coverage on October 13, 2011, and publicly opposed the launched investigation into the financial accounting of Planned Parenthood, stating that the investigation “is an unfortunate waste of taxpayer dollars.” [4][5]

Moore has sponsored seven bills since Jan 4, 2005, two which have made it out of committee (Average) and zero which have been successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Moore has cosponsored 343 bills during the same time period (Many, relative to peers). [6]

In January 2011, Moore was elected Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Women’s Caucus to become a leader on health insurance reform and the protection of reproductive rights.

Political campaigns

2010

In the 2010 election cycle, her total income was $571,546. She spent a total of $543,826.

Top contributors: Credit Union National Assn with $11,750, Finmeccanica Spa with $10,250, American Assn for Justice with $10,000, Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers with $10,000, Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union with $10,000, Northwestern Mutual with $10,000, Painters & Allied Trades Union with $10,000, Plumbers/Pipefitters Union with $10,000, Assurant Inc with $9,000 and American Bankers Assn with $8,000.

Top sectors: Finance/Insur/RealEst with $162,015, Labor with $123,750, Lawyers & Lobbyists with $35,236, Health with $27,500, Misc Business with $16,280, Other with $15,125, Defense with $11,750, Transportation with $10,500, Ideology/Single-Issue with $7,233, and Energy/Nat Resource with $6,450.

Top industries:Insurance with $79,750, Building Trade Unions with $42,500, Industrial Unions with $29,750, Public Sector Unions with $26,000, Commercial Banks with $26,000, Lawyers/Law Firms with $25,405, Health Professionals with $16,750, Real Estate with $15,600, with Transportation Unions with $15,000.[9]